Cyclic control means in selective printing machines



April 17, 1951 HUEBER 2,549,607

CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 8, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet l April 17, 1951 c. .J. HUEBER 2,549,607

' CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 8, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZZ/610w)" j I C awd 1f ffizebcr' Mia/72:55

April 17, 1951 c. J. HUEBER 2,549,607

CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 8, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet 5 ASSESSMENT ROLL 1 Lu /2. Z 07: Carl E]; Haeefi W M fle'twvzeysr April 7, 1951 c. J. HUEBER 2,549,607

CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 8, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 17, 1951 c. J. HUEBER 2,549,607

CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS m swzcnvs PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 8, 1946 s 16 Sheets-Sheet v C. J. HUEBER April 17, 1951 CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES l6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Nov. 8, 1946 we u WH ZM.

C. J. HUEBER April 17, 1951 CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES l6 Sheecs-Shet 7 Filed Nov. 8, 1946 g, INVEN TOR. a Carl Jflueber BY W l a A/f0?/V[/5 April 17, 1951 c. J. HUEBER 2,549,607

CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov 8, 1946 l6 Sheets-Sheet 8 Jnz/enZEr; 622/! J. Hawk/ QZZWHQJ C. J. HUEBER April 17, 1951 CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES l6 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Nov. 8, 1946 1120672157 6 6/ 2 J Haeem C. J. HUEBER April 17, 1951 CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES 16 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed NOV. 8, 1946 gljrw c zziov- 70M M Ma C. J. HUEBER April 17, 1951 CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES l6 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Nov. 8, 1946 C. J. HUEBER April 17, 1951 CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES 16 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed Nov. 8, 1946 7 7206/1127" (21! M Hzwer GYM/lays April 17, 1951 c. J. HUEBER 2,549,507

CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 8, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet 13 Followers 0n 2 Fallawer Na F0 1/0 wer Ski a Three Fal/o mar:

April 17, 1951 c. J. HUEBER 2,549,607

CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 8, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet l4 flu/ naw Girl J HaeeP April 7, 1951 c. J. HUEBER 2,549,607

CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 8, 1946 16 Sheec's-Shet 15 R55 TORED Z7 Q r SKIP 1 LEAD 4 a FOLLOWERS HF LEAD 3, erouowzws 640-3 [mi o-z v 11209772297 Cd/Z LI Hueer' 70M 4441/ Patented Apr. 17, 1951 UNITED STATES CYCLIC CONTROL MEANS IN SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINES Application November 8, 1946, Serial No. 708,784 (c1. 101-58) 14 Claims.

Printing machines of the aforesaid character" are adapted for rapid operation to print i1npressions from at least selected printing devices as they reach printing position, and to attain maximum production, it is customary to provide automatic sheet feeding or positioning means that are arranged to feed or advance the sheets with respect to printing position to receive impressions in different locations on the sheet from successive printing devices. Such printing machines in many instances embody automatic control means, conventionally termed selector mechanism, whereby identifying means disposed at one or more selected identifying positions on the printing devices may be rendered effective to control operation of one or more of the various mechanisms of the printing machine. Thus selector mechanism in such printing machines has in the past been employed to render the impression mechanism, such as a platen, inoperative in respect to selected printing devices in accordance with the sensed presence or absence of such identifying means at one or more selected identifying positions thereon, thus to control the print-skip operation of the machine. In other instances the selector mechanism has been employed to control mechanisms for separating or segregating selected of the printing devices, or to govern a supplemental printing mechanism such as a numbering machine. As another example of the uses to which selector mechanism may be put in printing machines of the aforesaid character, my

copending patent application Serial No. 487,078,

filed May 15, 1943, now Patent No. 2,414,813, issued January 28, 1947, illustrates and claims a machine wherein selector means cooperate with the identifyingmeans on the printing devices to govern the cut-off mechanism of the machine so as to print from different areas of the printing devices, and in such copending application the selector means are also operable to govern the sheet separating or feeding means as well as the sheet stop mechanism of the sheet feeding means, thereby to produce printed sheets having different amounts of printed matter thereon under control of identifying means carried on the printing devices.

Another class of work upon which the printing machines of the aforesaid character may be utilized is in the production of printed tax rolls wherein the name of a property owner and a 2 legal description of the property are printed on the tax roll in difierent columns on the sheet. In the preparation of such tax rolls, the name of the property owner and a description of his property may in some instances be carried upon a, single or individual printing device, and the name and the description of property are printed different columns by the performance of what may be termed a two-column listing operation. In connection with such work, however, it has been found in practice that the name and the legal description cannot in many instances be carried upon a single printing device, and it has therefore been customary to carry a part of the legal description on the same printing device with the name of the owner, and to carry the balance of the legal description on one or more supplemental printing devices, which are in such an instance termed follower printing devices, the first of such printing devices in such a group being termed the lead printing device. In the prior patents of Walter T. Gollwitzer, No. 1,982,380, patented November 27, 1934, and No. 2,002,772, patented May 28, 1935, groups of lead and follower printing devices are utilized, and

there are of course individual printing devices which do not have follower plates grouped therewith which are interspersed with or between the groups of lead and follower printing devices. As disclosed in the aforesaid Gollwitzer patents, the lead and follower printing devices are utilized in the preparation of tax rolls, but in accordance with the aforesaid Gollwitzer patents the structure and operation of the machine is in each instance of such a character as to require a relatively complicated system of applying or locating the identifying means upon the printing devices, and to enable individual printing devices and groups of printing devices that are to be used in tax roll work to be classified and identified in a simple and more expeditious manner is the primary object of the present invention.

The machine illustrated in the first of the two aforesaid Gollwitzer patents has an arrangement such that each of the follower plates must carry an identifying device or tab, and this identifying device is utilized in controlling the shifting movement of the sheet upon which the tax roll is being printed, and to enable the use of identifying means on the follower printing devices to be eliminated in tax roll work is a further object of the present invention.

It will be evident that in the preparation of tax rolls there are instances where the number of lines remaining upon the sheet will be insuflicient to accommodate all of the group of printing devices that is to be next printed, and in the aforesaid Gollwitzer patent means are provided which afford an indication as to the number of follower plates that are included in the group that is to be next printed, and in the use of such machine it has been customary and necessary for the operator to constantly watch the indicating means and compare the indication given thereby with the number of lines remaining upon the sheet that is being printed, and to enable this aspect of the operation to be eliminated is a further object of the invention. More specifically it is an object of the present invention to enable the number of follower printing devices in each group to be compared automatically with the number of lines remaining upon the sheet, and to stop the operation of the machine \ahen an insufficient number of lines remain upon the sheet to accommodate all of the follower printing devices of the next group. A related object is to afford an indication in such an instance as to the reason why the machine has been stopped, thereby to indicate promptly to the operator that a new sheet must be mounted in position in the machine.

In my prior Patents Nos. 2,359,849, 2,359,850, and 2,359,851, there is disclosed a printing machine that is relatively simple in construction and which has been produced in great numbers I and has gone into wide use, while in my prior Patent No. 2,359,853, patented October 10, 1944, there is disclosed a multiple-column lister for use in association with the printing machine disclosed in the first three of my aforesaid patents, and a further and related object of the present invention is to enable the printin machine and the multiple-column lister of my aforesaid patents to be utilized in the preparation of tax rolls. An object related to the foregoing is to accomplish such tax roll printing with the multiple-column lister and the printing machine of my aforesaid patents in such a way that high volume production may be obtained with the machine. A more specific object of the present invention is to incorporate selector mechanism in the printing machine of my aforesaid patents whereby the printing from such lead and follower printing devices may be controlled through the use of identifying means carried solely upon the individual printing devices and upon the lead printing .devices of the groups.

Other objects of the invention are to simplify the preparation of tax rolls and like printed lists; to assure proper numberin of the items printed; to simplify the work of the attendant in the printing of such lists; and to coordinate the various printing means and the paper feeding means and printing device feeding means in such a way as to enable the primary mechanisms of my aforesaid patents to be utilized with but little change or modification.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, shows a preferred embodiment and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying those principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a printing machine embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the lister mechanism of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the way .in which printed information is transferred from individual printing devices and from the printing devices of different sizes of groups of printing devices;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the control for the lister operating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating the individual line spacing means of the lister;

Fig. 5A is a perspective view illustrating further details of the lister control mechanism with the parts in the positions occupied when the lister is connected for operation;

Fig. 5B is a view similar to 5A and showing the parts in the positions which they occupy when the lister cam is stopped;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustratin the platen mechanism and the numbering mechanism and the actuating means therefore;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view taken partially in section and illustrating the path of advancing movement of the printing devices;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the numbering mechanism and the actuating and control means therefor;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side view of the numbering mechanism and showing the parts in an operative relation;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 and illustrating the numbering mechanism in an inactive relation;

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a lost-motion connection utilized in the control of the numbering machine;

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the platen mechanism and the control means therefor;

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 and showin the parts of the mechanism in a different relationship;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the duplicator mechanism and the control means therefor;

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary perspective view of the duplicator control mechanism;

Figs. 16 and 1'7 are similar views showing the duplicator control mechanism in diiferent adjusted relationships;

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the storage drum whereby the controlling impulses derived from the identifyin means of the printing devices are stored until such time as a controlling action is to be obtained in response to such information;

Fig. 19 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the sensing mechanism;

Fig. 20 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the selector mechanism;

Figs. 21 to 26 are fragmentary end views illustrating various details of the selector mechanism, certain of these views being taken along corresponding lines indicated in Fig. 20 of the drawings;

Figs. 27 to 29 are detailed views of the three control cams of the selector mechanism;

Fig. 29A is a detail view of a position of the structure shown in Fig. and

Fig. 30 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electrical connections embodied in the machine.

In the form chosen for disclosure herein, the invention is illustrated as embodied in a printing apparatus comprising a printing machine I09, Fig. 1, of the fiat bed type having an automatic two column lister mechanism Mill operativel-y associated therewith for shifting and advancing sheets S across and with respect to a printing position afforded on the table top of the machine. The printing machine ISO is of the general character illustrated in my prior Patent No. 2,359,850, patented October 10, 1944, and this machine comprises a desk-like frame IilI having a table top T over which the sheets S may have moved and positioned in the course of the production with the desired printed impressions on such a sheet. The printing machine I00 as herein shown is adapted to make printed impressions from printing devices D which are initially placed in a stack in an upstanding magazine M disposed near the right-hand rear corner of the table top T of the machine. These printing devices D are withdrawn one by one from the bottom of the supply magazine M and are advanced in a step by step manner through a sensing position and into a printing position, such printing position being defined in part by a platen mechanism P located over the table top forwardly and to the left of the magazine M. Ihe printing device advancing means whereby the printing devices are advanced through the machine are illustrated and described in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,359,850, and reference may be had to such patent for details of construction and operation of such printing device advancing means.

The printing apparatus of the present invention i adapted to produce printed sheets such as the assessment roll S illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and this assessment roll may be printed from individual printing devices D and groups of printing devices that are passed through the machine. Thus in Fig. 3 of the drawings, an individual printing device DI is illustrated having a sheet metal frame I56 carrying upper and lower metallic printing plates IEI and I52 which are removably held in place on the frame I56 in the manner well known in the art. The frame I59 also has an index card 53 secured in place in a conventional manner between the upper edge of the frame 158 and the upper edge of the upper printing plate 551. The upper printing plate, in the case of an individual printing device such as the printing device DI is arranged to have the name and address of a property owner embossed thereon, as indicated by the letter N in Fig. 3, while the lower printing plate is arranged to carry an embos ed text which constitutes the legal description of the property owned by the person whose name appears at N on upper printing plate IN. The descriptive text on the plate I52 of the printin device DI is identified as WI.

When the name N and the text WI are to be printed from the individual printing device DI, the name N is printed in a first printing operation in the first column of the sheet S, .and then, after appropriate shifting movements of the sheet S relative to printing position, the legal description Wi is printed in the same line of the sheet S but in the second column of the sheet. At the time when the description WI is printed in the second column of a particular line, an

item number I55 is printed in what may be termed the third column of the sheet S and in the same line with the name N and the description text WI. This item number I55 is printed by a numbering mechanism as will hereinafter be described so that but one item number appears for each name that is printed in the first column of the sheet S.

As hereinbefore pointed out, the legal description of the property owned by a particular person may be of such length that it cannot be included on the plate I52 of an individual printing device, and in such circumstances, one or more follower printing devices are provided so that a group of printing devices is afforded as to such owner. Thus in Fig. 3 several groups of printing devices are illustrated, the first group of which includes a lead printing device EDI and a single follower printing device ZDZ. The second group that is illustrated in Fig. 3 includes a lead printing device SDI and two follower printing devices which are identified as 3D: and 3B3. Still another group of printing devices is illustrated in Fig. 3 and this group includes a lead printing device 4DI and three follower printing devices identified as DZ, 4D3, and 5B4 respectively.

- When the lead printing device of a group, such for example as the lead printing device 2DI, is to be printed upon a tax roll S, the name carried on the upper printing plate of the printing device is printed in the first column, and the legal descrip'ion carried on the lower printing plate of this lead printing device is printed in the second column of the sheet S, and the item or serial number i535 is similarly printed in the third column and in the same line as the name and legal description taken from this particular lead printin device. With respect however to the follower printing devices, the single impression that is to be made from such follower printing device is made from the lower printing plate thereof, the

area normally occupied by the upper printing plate being vacant if this is desired. The im pression made from the follower printing device is made in the second column of the sheet S directly beneath, or in the next line below, the legal description that was taken from the preceding lead printing device or follower printing device. With respect to such impressions made from the follower printing device of a group, it will be observed that the space in the third column of the sheet is left vacant. In other words,

the serial number I55 is printed only in those lines in which impressions have been made from a lead printing device or from an individual printing device, and the manner in which this is accomplished'will be described in detail hereinafter.

The relationship of the embossed areas on the various printing devices with respect to the areas of the sheet S in which impressions are made is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and lines have been extended from the various printing plates of the printing devices to the areas of the sheet S in which in the illustrated example, impressions are made from such printing plates.

Under and in accordance with the present invention, the control of the various functions of the printing apparatus is obtained through the use of identifying means carried on the individual printing devices and upon the lead printing devices of the groups. Thus the follower printing devices need not carry tabs when the print- 7 ing apparatus of the present invention is employed. Thus each individual printing device and each lead printing device carries a shiftable or pivoted tab PS which may be shifted to different positions for use in governing the printskip operation of the machine. The individual printing devices and the lead printing devices of the groups also carry identifying means that are indicative of the number of printing devices in the several groups. Thus the individual printing device Di carries a tab Tl in a predetermined identifying position along its upper edge which indicates that this printing device is an individual printing device. Similarly, the lead printing device 2D! carries a tab T2 in another predetermined position along its upper edge so as to indicate that this lead printing device relates to a group that includes but one follower printing device. The lead printing device ElDi carries a tab T3 that is in still another position along the upper edge of the printing device, and this indicates that the printing device 3D! is the lead printing device of a group containing two follower printing devices. Finally, the lead printing device 513i carries a tab Til in still another identifying position along the upper edge thereof so as to indicate that this printing device constitutes the lead printing device of a group that contains three follower printing devices.

The platen mechanism P, Fig. 6, as herein shown is of the geared roller type and the particular construction thereof is fully illustrated and described in my prior Patent 'No. 2,359,853; patented October 10, 1944, and reference may be made to such prior patent for details of construction and operation of the platen mechanism. The platen mechanism P is supported on or beneath the forward end of a relatively rigid printing frame it l that is carried on the frame of the printing machine, and while the printing frame I9 1 might be of many different constructions, I prefer to employ a rigid printing frame such as that shown and claimed in my prior Patent No. 2,275,439, patented March 10, 1942. It will be observed that the printing frame iii l extends upwardly from the table top T at a point adjacent to the supply magazine M and extends upwardly and laterally at an angle of substantially 45 with respect to the forward edge of the printing machine to a point adjacent to the front of the machine, and at its forward end the printing frame ltd carries a head 85 beneath which the platen mechanism P is supported.

The platen mechanism P includes a platen roller PR which is carried upon and beneath a carriage C, the carriage C being mounted on the head N for reciprocating movement in a direc:

tion from front to rear of the machine. Such reciprocating movement is imparted to the carriage C through means including a rock shaft Hit"; mounted in the printing frame H34 in a norzontal position and parallel to the forward edge of the table top T, and this rock shaft lilo has an arm 1B7 extending downwardly therefrom and connected to the carriage C so as to operate the carriage through a reciprocating stroke when the rock shaft C is actuated through a rocking movement. The carriage C is thus operated through a reciprocating stroke each time a printing operation is to be performed, and at the end of such a reciprocating stroke, the carriage C is located in its rearward position shown in Fig. 6. The platen roller PR is supported beneath the carriage C for movement in a generally vertical direction between an upper inactive position and a lower or active position, and as described in detail in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,359,849, the arrangement is such that the platen roller PR. is disposed in its elevated inactive position when the carriage C is in the aforesaid rearward or rest position thereof. In the first half of a printing cycle of the machine, the carriage C is moved in a forward direction, and during thi forward stroke of the carriage C, the platen roller PR is progressively lowered to its effective position, and it will be observed in Fig. 6 of the drawing that the platen roller PR has two platen faces PM and PFZ formed thereon, and as an incident to the movements of the carriage C, a geared connection Hill is effective to cause rotative movement of the platen roller PR. As will hereinafter be described in greater detail, such a geared connection may be controlled so that the platen faces PF! and PF2 may be rendered selectively effective, and in the aforesaid forward movement of the carriage C, the platen face that is to be effective is selected and disposed in such a position that it is moved with a rolling action over the sheet S as the carriage C is moved in a rearward direction during the last half of the printing cycle of the machine. The area and location or extent of the platen faces PF! and PF? serves to determine what areas of the printing plates are to be effective to produce printed impressions, as will be evident upon consideration of my aforesaid Patent No. 2,359,849. It will be understood of course that an inked ribbon is interposed between the printing device D and the sheet S during the production of the printed impression on the sheet, and in the event that carbon copies are to be made, the additional sheets are arranged to have a suitable carbon paper associated therewith in the conventional manner.

As described in my aforesaid Patent No. 359,850 the printing machine I01] is adapted under some circumstances to be operated under control of a plurality of foot pedals 125, I2! and E22 which may be selectively depressed to initiate the type of machine cycle which is desired. The foot pedal I25 is normally termed the skip pedal of the machine, since momentary depression of this pedal initiates a cycle of operation of the printing device advancing means, and during such cycle the platen mechanism P remains inactive. The foot pedal I2! is conventionally termed the repeat pedal for momentary depression of this pedal initiates operation of the platen mechanism P While the printing device advancing means remains inactive. The foot pedal I22 is normally termed the consecutive pedal of the machine since momentary depression of this pedal serves to initiate concurrent cycles of operation of the printing device advancing means and the platen mechanism P. When the machine is operated through the use of the consecutive pedal I22, the printing device that has been disposed at printing position. in the preceding cycle of operation is discharged into a collecting drawer J during the first half of the machine cycle, and a new printing device D is advanced into printing position. This takes place at the time when the platen carriage C is being moved through its forward or advancing stroke, and the printed impression from the new printing device is made during the last half of the machine cycle, or in other words, during the rearward stroke of the platen carriage C.

When the printing machine is being used, a power source such as an electric motor is constantly driven, and the motor is controlled by a 

